


The Last to Arrive

by Cantatrice18



Category: Sailor Moon - All Media Types
Genre: Backstory, Gen, Pre-Canon, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-25
Updated: 2011-05-25
Packaged: 2017-10-19 18:54:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/204146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cantatrice18/pseuds/Cantatrice18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The young Sailor Pluto arrives at the court of the moon, but her reception is less than welcoming. Can she overcome her shyness in order to find a friend?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Last to Arrive

The Court of Queen Serenity was the envy of the galaxy. No other kingdom could rival the glittering elegance, the excitement, and the sheer beauty that emblemized her court. And so it was that each planet’s rulers and nobles sent their children to the Court of the Moon to learn the charms and refinements that their own courts lacked. The eldest princess of each kingdom was chosen to serve the princess of the moon as a protector and guardian, and these Sailor senshi were revered by all, for they possessed beauty and grace unequalled by anyone in the galaxy. Each evening the moon glowed from the lights of the palace, and conversations and laughter echoed through the marble halls.

But today the excitement was replaced by an uncomfortable silence. For as long as anyone could remember, the Princess of the Moon had been waited on by seven senshi: four inner senshi - Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter; and three outer senshi – Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. No one had considered the final planet to be of any importance. Pluto was known to be a dark and barren place, and its people were insular, suspicious of any outside interference.

Yet here she stood in front of them, the supposed “princess” of Pluto. She looked to be about 14 years old, though it was difficult to tell for certain. Her dark green hair fell unbound about her shoulders, as though shielding her from their stares. She was tall and alarmingly thin. Her clothing didn’t help matters. She wore the sailor uniform, but it had none of the vibrant colors the court had come to expect. The skirt was black and dull, and the bow on her chest was a muddy dark red, the color of dried blood. The fabric hung loosely on her bony frame, making her appear even more gaunt and unhealthy. She wore no jewelry, no ornaments of any kind. Her appearance was so extraordinarily out of place amidst the lively sparkle of the courtiers that whispers began to spread across the room.

“She can’t possibly be a princess.”

“I’d heard Pluto was backward, but this?"

“She looks like she’s just been dragged off a dirty street,” a pompous middle-aged gentleman said.

“She’s just so… so primitive!” sniffed a young lady, nose in the air. Her friends tittered nervously.

The girl in question stared straight ahead, showing no sign that she’d heard them. The room stilled once more. Then the silence was broken by a child’s voice.

“Mama?” asked a little girl, tugging on her mother’s skirt. She looked to be no more than five years old. “Mama,” the child repeated, louder this time, pointing at the girl in the center of the room. “Is she dead?”

The courtiers around the little girl began to chuckle, their laughter spreading so that it filled the hall. The girl from Pluto still hadn’t moved, nor given any indication that she’d heard. Only a slight blush mantling her cheeks gave away her discomfort. The laughter stopped suddenly, replaced by the rustle of skirts as the courtiers bowed and curtsied. Queen Serenity had entered the room silently, no one was quite sure when, but as she walked to her throne the court breathed a tiny sigh of relief. No doubt the queen would know what to do with the strange new arrival.

The girl, meanwhile, had continued to stand motionless, even as the courtiers around her bowed. She met the queen’s eyes, and Serenity smiled as she settled back onto the throne. “Welcome, Princess,” she said, “I apologize, I had no idea you’d arrive so quickly, or I’d have been here to greet you.”

For the first time the girl looked down, the blush growing stronger along her sharp cheekbones. “No, it was my fault for being early. I must have mistimed it.”

The courtiers exchanged confused glances, but the queen responded kindly, “It is hard to time such a long journey. The fact that you managed to travel here at all, much less arrive on the very afternoon I expected you to, is a testament to your strength of will. I am honored that you have chosen to join my court.”

The courtiers murmured in shock, but the queen paid them no heed. Instead she rose and walked to where the girl still stood. “You look tired. My ladies in waiting will show you to your rooms. Will you join me this evening for dinner?”

The girl hesitated, but nodded slowly. The queen left regally as everyone bowed.

A group of women hustled the girl off to her new suite. She froze upon entering it, and the ladies in waiting nearly had to drag her to the powder room. There they cleaned her up, brushing out her hair, dressing her in a long white evening gown, and adorning her with glittering jewelry. Through it all, the girl sat motionless, even as the ladies chattered around her. They asked her question after question, but she rarely responded, and when she did her replies were hesitant and short. When they felt that she was suitable to be presented to the queen they quickly exited. The girl was silent, and could hear their conversation in the hall.

“Well, that was an ordeal wasn’t it?” one woman sighed.

“You’d think she’d never even worn jewelry before, the way she stared at it.”

“They probably don’t have jewelry where she comes from – only rocks!” another woman exclaimed, and the ladies laughed unkindly as they walked away.

The queen sat alone at the dinner table. She had been waiting for half an hour, and was beginning to get concerned. The servants muttered darkly to one another, exchanging glances that clearly said, “Well, what can you expect from a savage like that?” Serenity rose suddenly, and the servants snapped to attention. “I’m afraid there will be no dinner this evening. Please return to your duties,” she said calmly, and left from the room.

Serenity moved quickly, bypassing the halls where she heard people talking. From what she’d seen that afternoon, she guessed that the girl wouldn’t seek out a public place unless she had to. She had worked her way to the residential areas of the palace, and decided to check the girl’s room. The door was unlocked, and she entered quietly. The newest sailor was curled up on a chair, clutching her knees to her chest. She looked as though she was holding back tears. When she heard the Queen enter, she leapt to her feet and bowed her head. Serenity stopped, looking at her closely. “We missed you at dinner this evening. Are you feeling well?” she asked, not unkindly.

“Yes, your majesty,” the girl muttered softly, “I’m sorry for missing dinner. Please forgive me.”

Serenity crossed to where the girl stood, and lifted her chin so that the girl was forced to meet her eyes. “How long has it been since you were around this many people?” she asked. The girl’s eyes flicked away, and Serenity smiled sadly. “You’ve never been around this many people?”

The girl nodded, desperately trying to keep her tears in check. “On Pluto…at home there’s only papa and me. We don’t have a court, there are no nobles or emissaries or diplomats… just us.”

Impulsively, Serenity took the girl in her arms, holding her in a soft embrace. “Child, I wish you’d told me. Had I known I would have made sure your arrival was more private, more comforting. The court is a wonderful place, but it can also be very harsh and overwhelming. There is no reason for you to suffer that, especially after a long journey. This is your first time away from home, isn’t it?”

The girl nodded, unable to keep a few tears from escaping her control. Serenity hugged her tighter. “For the moment, then, let’s keep you away from crowds. You needn’t be present at court functions – none of the other senshi are, though their reasons are a little different,” she said, smiling wryly. “They are all quite a bit younger than yourself. But enough of this - I think that it is about time you met the princess. If you so desire, you can spend most of your hours with her.”

The girl stiffened, looking nervous, but Serenity took her hand and led her from the room.

By a stroke of luck, there were no servants in the hall that led to the queen’s chambers. The pair entered silently. From the room next door, they could hear the faint sound of laughter. “Wait here,” the queen commanded softly.

She entered the next room, and the laughter stopped. After a few moments she returned and led the girl reluctantly inside. Sitting on the floor was a child, no more than four years old. Her curly blonde hair was tied into pigtails, and she was dressed in a white dress that had the same golden accents as the queen’s. At the sight of a stranger, the girl ran and hid behind Serenity’s skirts, but the queen gently pushed her forward. “Dearest, I would like you to meet someone very special. This girl is one of your Sailor senshi. She has traveled a very long way to come see you. I hope you two can become friends.”

The child walked hesitantly forward, craning her neck to stare up the long distance to the newcomer’s face. Awkwardly, the girl knelt before the little princess, so that their eyes were closer to the same height. They stared at each other for a moment, then the little girl announced proudly, “My name is Princess Serenity. But you may call me Usagi. What’s your name?”

The older girl hesitated, glancing up at where the queen still stood, then looked down and whispered, “Setsuna. My name is Setsuna”.

Usagi cocked her head to one side, deliberating a moment. “I like your name. It’s pretty, like mine. Where are you from?”

Setsuna shyly raised her head so that she was able to look at the princess once more and said, her voice a little stronger this time, “I come from Pluto.”

Usagi’s mouth fell open, and she looked stunned. The amazement quickly turned to delight, and she smiled gleefully. “Wow, you came so far! How did you get here? Did you fly? Are you going to stay? Do you like it here?”

Seeing the slow smile spreading across Setsuna’s face, Serenity backed out of the room, shutting the door softly behind her. She was confident that the princess was safe in Setsuna’s hands. With luck, the girl would become a mentor as well as a guardian for her daughter. And perhaps the child’s outgoing nature would help Setsuna gain the confidence she needed to handle the pressures of court. Regardless, Queen Serenity was certain of one thing: her daughter had a new best friend.


End file.
